RAF Typhoons respond to Russian warplane over Black Sea
Typhoons from Britain’s Royal Air Force based in Romania have been scrambled in response to a Russian warplane flying near NATO airspace over the Black Sea.
The RAF said the fighter jets went into action July 26 from an air base near the port of Constanta after a suspected Su-24 FENCER aircraft was spotted in the area.
In a statement, it quoted a a Typhoon pilot who was on duty as saying: “The Russian aircraft did not enter NATO airspace so we were ordered to patrol the skies for a short period of time as a deterrent, until finally returning,” to the base.
The RAF mission in Romania is part of NATO’s Assurance Measures introduced in 2014.
Romanian officials referred questions to NATO and the British government. AP
House backs defense bill with pay raise for troops
The House on July 26 approved a $716 billion defense policy bill that would give military personnel a 2.6 percent pay hike, the largest in nine years.
The compromise bill also weakens a bid to clamp down on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE and allows the president to waive sanctions against countries that have bought Russian weapons but now want to buy U.S. military equipment.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sought the waiver, saying it would help countries such as India that are seeking to “pull away from the Russian orbit.”
The bill does not fund President Donald Trump’s request for a new “Space Force.”
The bill was negotiated by House and Senate lawmakers after competing versions were approved in each chamber.
It was approved, 359-54, and now goes to the Senate. AP
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences expands Virginia HQ
A Boeing subsidiary specializing in unmanned aircraft is expanding its headquarters in northern Virginia and creating 135 new jobs.
The new jobs will pay an average annual salary exceeding $100,000.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced July 26 the plans by Aurora Flight Sciences, to invest $13.75 million to expands its headquarters, which are adjacent to the Manassas Regional Airport. About 450 workers are currently employed there.
Boeing acquired Aurora last year.
The expansion plans include a robotics facility that will consist of a manufacturing unit, a research and development lab, a hangar, and office space.
Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $500,000 grant to help keep the company in Manassas in the face of competition from Alabama, West Virginia and Puerto Rico. AP
Raytheon: Second quarter earnings snapshot
Raytheon reported second-quarter earnings of $800 million July 26.
On a per-share basis, the Waltham, Massachusetts-based company said it had profit of $2.78. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains and to account for discontinued operations, were $2.45 per share.
The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.32 per share.
The defense contractor posted revenue of $6.63 billion in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $6.5 billion.
Raytheon expects full-year earnings to be $9.77 to $9.97 per share, with revenue in the range of $26.7 billion to $27.2 billion.
Raytheon shares have risen 5 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has increased 6.5 percent. The stock has risen 16 percent in the last 12 months. AP